Why is gnome-base suddenly necessary on my system? Is it media-plugins/gst- plugins-gconf that wants to pull it in this morning, when it hadn't done so before? This is what I see, but I also include the full enchilada below in case it is more informative: [nomerge ] media-plugins/gst-plugins-gconf-0.10.31:0.10 [ebuild U ] gnome-base/gconf-3.2.6-r1:2 [2.32.4-r1:2] ============================================================== ~ # emerge -uatDv world These are the packages that would be merged, in reverse order: Calculating dependencies... done! [nomerge ] app-portage/layman-2.0.0 USE="git subversion -bazaar -cvs - darcs -mercurial {-test}" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7 (-pypy2_0) -python2_6" [ebuild U ] dev-vcs/subversion-1.7.14 [1.7.13] USE="berkdb dso kde nls webdav-neon -apache2 -ctypes-python -debug -doc -extras -gnome-keyring -java - perl -python -ruby -sasl {-test} -vim-syntax -webdav-serf" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7 -python2_6" 5,905 kB [nomerge ] app-pda/barry-0.18.3 USE="nls -boost -desktop -doc -gui - opensync -static-libs" [nomerge ] dev-cpp/libxmlpp-2.36.0:2.6 USE="-doc {-test}" [ebuild U ] dev-cpp/glibmm-2.36.2:2 [2.32.1:2] USE="-debug -doc - examples {-test}" 2,256 kB [ebuild rR ] kde-base/kamera-4.10.5:4 USE="handbook (-aqua) -debug" 0 kB [ebuild U ] dev-util/meld-1.8.2 [1.7.0] USE="highlight -gnome" PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python2_7%* -python2_6%" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7%* - python2_6%" 414 kB [ebuild U ] www-client/chromium-31.0.1650.63 [31.0.1650.57] USE="cups - bindist -custom-cflags -gnome -gnome-keyring -gps -kerberos (-neon) - pulseaudio (-selinux) (-system-sqlite) (-tcmalloc) {-test}" LINGUAS="en_GB -am -ar -bg -bn -ca -cs -da -de -el -es -es_LA -et -fa -fi -fil -fr -gu -he -hi - hr -hu -id -it -ja -kn -ko -lt -lv -ml -mr -ms -nb -nl -pl -pt_BR -pt_PT -ro - ru -sk -sl -sr -sv -sw -ta -te -th -tr -uk -vi -zh_CN -zh_TW" 170,438 kB [ebuild U ] net-im/pidgin-2.10.7-r5 [2.10.7-r4] USE="dbus gstreamer gtk ncurses nls spell xscreensaver (-aqua) -debug -doc -eds -gadu -gnutls - groupwise -idn -meanwhile -mxit -networkmanager -perl -prediction -python - sasl -silc -tcl -tk -zephyr -zeroconf" PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python2_7" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7" 0 kB [ebuild rR ] app-office/libreoffice-4.1.2.3 USE="bluetooth branding cups dbus gtk kde opengl vba webdav (-aqua) -debug -eds -gnome -gstreamer -gtk3 - java -jemalloc -mysql -odk -postgres -telepathy {-test}" LIBREOFFICE_EXTENSIONS="presenter-minimizer -nlpsolver -scripting-beanshell - scripting-javascript -wiki-publisher" PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python2_7 - python3_3" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7 python3_3*" 0 kB [ebuild U ] www-client/firefox-24.1.1 [17.0.9] USE="alsa dbus jit libnotify minimal startup-notification -bindist -custom-cflags -custom- optimization -debug -gstreamer (-pgo) -pulseaudio% (-selinux) -system-cairo% - system-icu% -system-jpeg% -system-sqlite -wifi" LINGUAS="en_GB -af -ak -ar -as -ast -be -bg -bn_BD -bn_IN -br -bs -ca -cs -csb -cy -da -de -el -en_ZA -eo - es_AR -es_CL -es_ES -es_MX -et -eu -fa -fi -fr -fy_NL -ga_IE -gd -gl -gu_IN - he -hi_IN -hr -hu -hy_AM -id -is -it -ja -kk -km -kn -ko -ku -lg -lt -lv -mai -mk -ml -mr -nb_NO -nl -nn_NO -nso -or -pa_IN -pl -pt_BR -pt_PT -rm -ro -ru - si -sk -sl -son -sq -sr -sv_SE -ta -ta_LK -te -th -tr -uk -vi -zh_CN -zh_TW - zu" 117,373 kB [nomerge ] net-misc/icaclient-12.1.0 USE="nsplugin" LINGUAS="-de -ja" [ebuild U ] app-emulation/emul-linux-x86-soundlibs-20131008-r2 [20131008-r1] USE="alsa development pulseaudio%*" ABI_X86="(-32)" 0 kB [nomerge ] kde-base/kdeutils-meta-4.10.5:4 USE="cups (-aqua) -floppy - lirc" [nomerge ] kde-base/print-manager-4.10.5:4 USE="(-aqua) -debug" [nomerge ] app-admin/system-config-printer-gnome-1.4.3 [1.3.12] USE="- gnome-keyring" LINGUAS="en_GB -ar -as -bg -bn -bn_IN -br -bs -ca -cs -cy -da - de -el -es -et -fa -fi -fr -gu -he -hi -hr -hu -hy -id -is -it -ja -ka -kn -ko -lo -lv -mai -mk -ml -mr -ms -nb -nl -nn -or -pa -pl -pt -pt_BR -ro -ru -si - sk -sl -sr -sr@latin -sv -ta -te -th -tr -uk -vi -zh_CN -zh_TW" PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python2_7%* -python2_6%" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7%* - python2_6%" [nomerge ] app-admin/system-config-printer-common-1.4.3 [1.3.12] USE="policykit -doc" PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python2_7%* -python2_6%" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7%* -python2_6%" [blocks b ]